


Merry Christmas, Trunks

by crmsndragonwngs



Series: Dragon Ball Christmas [1]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Drabble, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Goten is 16 and Trunks is 17, Not that it actually matters just to give a sense of setting, Rated teen for profanity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:02:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28022868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crmsndragonwngs/pseuds/crmsndragonwngs
Summary: Sometimes the best gifts cost nothing at all.
Relationships: Trunks Briefs & Son Goten
Series: Dragon Ball Christmas [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2054046
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	Merry Christmas, Trunks

“I mean, he’s a Saiyan, Goten. He’s not really all that difficult to figure out.” Videl says, setting a plate in front of him and grinning when he narrows his eyes at her. 

“It’s not like you to get so worked up about stuff like this, anyway.” Gohan adds, looking sidelong at his little brother as he wipes Pan’s face with a napkin. “What’d you get him last year?”

“Nothing. He insisted, just like every year.” Goten huffs, stabbing at the generous pile of mashed potatoes on his plate with his fork. “Said he didn’t need anything.”

“Well, has he mentioned something he might want this year?” Videl asks, setting her husband’s plate in front of him before sitting down with her own. Goten shakes his head and shovels a heaping forkful of potatoes into his mouth. 

“Why not just ask him what he wants?” Gohan asks. Goten makes a face. 

“Want it to be a surprise.” He says around his mouthful. “Anyway, I didn’t come over here to have you two tag team an inquisition about Trunks.”

“I already told you, I’m happy to foot the bill on mom and dad’s present. I have a job and a steady income. You need to save your money for college instead.” Gohan says as he cuts into his steak. “As far as that goes, give us an idea of what you think Trunks might want, and we can pick something out for you.”

“No way, I can’t just have my brother buy something for my best friend! That’s just weird!” Goten protests loudly. Pan squeals and yells too, collapsing into a fit of giggles when Gohan tries to quiet her. “And anyway, I told you I was gonna help pay this year, and that’s what I intend to do.”

“Think of it as my Christmas gift to you, kiddo.” Gohan says with a warm chuckle, reaching over to ruffle Goten’s hair. “And your gift to me can be the promise that you’ll do the same once you have a degree and a job.”

“That’s lame.” Goten huffs, swatting at his brother’s hand. “And anyway, don’t even know if I wanna go to college.”

“Don’t let mom catch you talking like that. It’ll ruin Christmas for all of us.” Gohan snorts. “Listen, if it’ll make you feel better, you can come over and wrap the gifts once we buy them.”

“That’s literally the perfect gift, Goten.” Videl says, nodding sagely. “I honestly can’t imagine anything better than you wrapping the gifts so I don’t have to risk a ton of paper cuts doing it myself.” 

“Oh shut up.” Goten snorts, fighting the smile that threatens at the corners of his mouth. He sighs then and looks down at his food. “Thanks, I guess.”

“No sweat, bro.” Gohan says with a chuckle, ruffling Goten’s hair again. 

—

“So what do you want for Christmas anyway, loser?” Goten asks in lieu of a greeting when Trunks calls him the day after his dinner with Gohan, Videl, and Pan. 

“Hi to you too, nerd.” Trunks huffs. 

“Hi. What do you want for Christmas?” Goten repeats. Trunks is silent for a long time. “Trunks?”

“I want the same thing I have wanted every year since we could walk, Ten.” He says at last, sounding put upon. “I just want you to come over on the 26th and hang out and play with all the new shit I got, and eat leftovers, and pester my dad for all the fucking candy canes he hoards and stashes in his sock drawer. And then I wanna stay up late and watch TV and talk about how our absolutely insane families nearly fucked Christmas because somebody got too competitive over pie.”

“Why are you so difficult, man?” Goten sighs. 

_ “I’m _ not the difficult one, pal.” Trunks laughs. “I’m pretty goddamn easy. And I’m not gonna get you anything, so don’t get me anything. Just come over and hang out with me. That’s all I want.”

“Fine.” Goten growls. 

“Fine.” Trunks replies with another laugh. 

—

The day after Christmas, Goten puts on the new sweater his mom had knitted him and a comfy pair of jeans, then takes one of Videl’s pumpkin pies that she’d set aside for him to take to Trunks, and sets off for Capsule Corp. He flies straight to his friend’s bedroom window and lands on the balcony, tapping lightly on the sliding glass door and stepping back to wait. 

“Hey!” Trunks says cheerfully as he opens the door. “C’mon, wanna show you something.”

“I brought you a pie.” Goten says, following the older boy into his room. “Videl set it aside just for you.”

“Oh cool. I’ll get some forks from the kitchen in a sec.” Trunks says, grinning at him.

“No need.” Goten says, grinning back and tilting the pan to show him the two forks under the plastic lid. 

“Cool. C’mere, Ten. Look what my grandma gave me.” Trunks says excitedly, waving him over to the couch in front of his TV. 

“New console or something?” Goten asks, sitting down next to Trunks on the couch and setting the pie on the seat between them. 

“Nah, she never gets me stuff like that. It’s always clothes or scrapbooks or whatever.” Trunks laughs, grabbing a book from a shelf and sitting down next to Goten. “She’s been putting this one together since we were babies, though. She just finished it.” Goten leans over as Trunks carefully opens the book. “I dunno what’s in it. I wanted to wait for you.”

“You didn’t have to. It’s your gift.” Goten snorts, picking the pie up again and setting it in his lap. He opens the lid and scoots closer to Trunks, offering him a fork before taking a chunk right out of the middle of it. 

“I was gonna say it’s technically for both of us, since we’ve been attached since birth, but I’m starting to rethink our whole friendship, you fucking maniac.” Trunks says, staring down at the pie and feigning shock. 

“Whatever, not like we’re both just gonna eat one piece and be done with it.” Goten snorts. 

“Fair enough.” Trunks laughs. “Look, Ten. You remember this?” He says, tapping a picture of them standing together. They’re maybe six and seven in it, and Goten’s grinning hugely, showing off his missing tooth. Trunks is grinning next to him, one arm slung across his shoulders, holding Goten’s tooth in his other hand. 

“How could I forget? That’s when you knocked out my first baby tooth. Thought my mom was gonna kill you.” Goten chuckles, leaning his shoulder against Trunks’s and looking down at the page. 

“Look, here’s where you knocked out mine.” Trunks laughs, tapping another, very similar picture. He pushes Goten’s shoulder gently, then turns the page. 

They look at the book for hours, laughing and reminiscing and eating pie, and Goten is surprised when he looks up and sees how dark it’s gotten. And they haven’t even played one video game. 

“You hungry?” Trunks says suddenly, startling Goten out of his thoughts. 

“Huh?”

“Are you hungry, Ten?” Trunks asks again. “Where’d you go just now?”

“Nowhere. Just…” He trails off, looking up at his friend. “I feel like a bad friend.”

“Why?” 

Goten shrugs. “Because I’ve never gotten you a gift. Not once.”

“Because I told you not to.” Trunks says, closing the book and setting it aside. He turns and faces Goten fully then, putting his hands on the younger boy’s shoulders and looking him in the eye. “I don’t want you to get me anything. You don’t have to, because just being here with me is enough. I’m rich as hell, Ten. I get everything I want and more.”

“Yeah, but—“

“Listen, I got almost two thousand Zeni in video games and all that bullshit this year. But that book is my favorite gift by far.” He pauses at Goten’s confused look and sighs, dropping his hands in his lap and chuckling softly. “Haven't you figured out by now that you mean more to me than anything? I love that book because it’s a physical reminder of the best thing in my life. You.”

“Trunks.” Goten huffs, flushing at his words. 

“I mean it.” He says with a smile, then stands up and waves a hand. “Now, c’mon. There’s leftover ham in the fridge.” Goten sighs and stands up, following him down the hall toward the stairs, thinking about what Trunks had said and nearly colliding with the older boy’s back when he just stops right in front of him. 

“Trunks, what—“

“Look.” Trunks says, throwing a grin over his shoulder and pointing up to the mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. 

“Oh my god.” Goten laughs. “You’re such a dork.” But Trunks just shrugs and leans in, grabbing his wrist and pressing a gentle kiss to Goten’s cheek. 

“Merry Christmas, Goten.” He murmurs into Goten’s ear, then pulls away and continues on down the hall. 

**Author's Note:**

> Something a little different. Been having some writer’s block, so I decided to take a step back and write some mushy (mostly) platonic fluff. Might do some more of these with different characters. 
> 
> Happy holidays, y’all!


End file.
